mattjgerard

That's a great Idea, I'll try that on the simpler runs. Oftentimes its running across different objects, so if I can group splines across a couple objects that might work. Worth a try! Here's an example of a -ebox that I need to wire up- Either that or I start stacking bend deformers, which I've done before too, but that's tough to get a realistic look and droop to them.

I'm looking for the easiest way to run wires and cables along structures. Right now I'm using a path and sweeping a circle along it, but the path controls just make everything very manual. I've tried topowire, but too random. I am placing sensors on machinery and I need to run control cable to each sensor then to the PLC controller. Will be doing a lot of this. The process of doing this manually with points and handles and making sure nothing collides and looks natural is very tedious. Wondering if there are any tricks to constrain stuff and also make sure the swept shape doesn't interfere with the frame of the machine its running along. Willing to buy plugins, training, whatever. I know how to do it by hand, looking for a faster way and I'm coming up blank! Thanks!

Its hard to turn a ship this big, and to recreate from new what has been status quo for so long, ie Bodypaint and the underlying mechanics of the theory of how Cinema architecture was built a dozen years ago. Changing that base architecture isn't easy, and the more that depends on it makes it near impossible to revamp sections that need updating. One of the reasons that other apps (3dsmax I'm looking at you) rely so heavily on plugins for core functionality for users. If modeling is your main thing, then Cinema hasn't been and should not have been your tool of choice for a while. They have made huge improvements but modelling has not been the #1 reason the software exists. It appears to me that Cinema is beginning to get more and more like Photoshop. The feature set is so huge that it is hard to rationalize a single person making use of all of it. Sure there are the power users that will, and will ask for more. But in the small C4D community that I live in, just like PS, we use 20% of what Cinema can do, and if it can't do it we find another tool that can. Our workflow is already set for the next 5 years, and it doesn't include C4D in the render pipeline, just the scene building and dynamics once in a great while. But now that they finally got up to speed (sort of) with the CAD file import and export, my life will be much easier! That alone is worth the price of the MSA update for me. All the node stuff looks super cool, and I'm sure I will pyne at the idea of figuring it out, but I already do node based materials in other render engines.

bump. changed price to best offer, I'm pretty open. looking to get anything for this stuff. cross posted on other sites, so let me know what you got to trade/barter/offer!

Actually, vertex snap would work, if I can just get the first point in place, the others are usually easy to get to follow along. Here's what I got from the other advice you gave me, there are 3 cables I had to add to the optical sensors my company makes, to this prebuilt assembly line.

OK, i think that was my main fault here. in the ortho view everything should line up and scale correctly, am I right? because there is no perspective no matter where in Z they land, when I move them into place they should be in (nearly) the right spots? and its actually better if I start off the whole spline (about 8 points max) on a flat plane, then I can push them into the proper position with the tangent handles and such. Think I've got it working to my advantage now. Thank you~

So, I'm trying to draw some splines in relation to other objects in the scene, mainly sweeping splines for cables and wires. I am using the pen tool to create the splines, but when I'm zoomed in on the object that needs the wire or cable coming out of it, I'll click and start drawing the spline, the actual points are being created far back behind the object I'm looking at. The scale is all wrong, the points are in the wrong places, so I can't just pull it forward and scale it. How do I get a spline to start where I click near the object that I want? I am looking into work planes, which I've never used before, but I can't seem to get those to behave either. This happens in perspective view and any ortho view I try. It seems that it always wants to start the spline at some random place way behind the object I have selected.

Looked at modo, and I think I'll pass. New job bought me C4D studio, so I'll be using that for the foreseeable future. Just don't need my personal license anymore. Modo looks cool and everything, but I've no time to learn a new program unfortunately.

Sounds Good. Thanks!

POssibly, I haven't looked onto Modo at all, I'll check it out and get back to you.

Sale fell through, Cinema 4D Broadcast and Octane account still available. Fully transferrable, Octane account is clean. Fully updatable to R19. Make an offer, open to trades, barter, whatever. Haven't used in months, and won't be anytime soon. New job has provided software, don't need this anymore.

And just confirmed that there is a $250 transfer fee with MAXON that I will cover.

I will take offers as well, at this point I'm willing to entertain trades, offers, etc. I am close to donating and taking the tax write off too. I just hate to see this stuff sit there unused. matt

Looking to sell my C4D R18 Broadcast and Octane 3 plugin licenses. I changed directions in my work and haven't touched them for a while. Would like to sell together but would be willing to seperate if the price is right. I know this is sort of bad timing with R19 coming out, but if you want to use it for an upgrade price, that might work to your advantage. Octane account is stripped clean of all personal info and is deactivated on my workstation. I know people will tell me I am not supposed to sell my Octane license, but I could be selling the rights to the account, not the license, however you want to view it. I'm not going to use it anymore, so I would like it to go to someone that would use it. Make me an offer, trade, tell me your sob story. I'm in the US if that makes any difference (not sure it does) I can provide downloads of both up to date packages, I have the PC downloads I can post, or you can download them yourself from MAXON and Otoy. Cheers!

Ok, Mr Magic, I was able to open your scene in R16 studio, and my gosh,, that's pretty amazing. Now, cause I'm not a real smart guy can you explain what all the components of this rig work? I'm trying to dissect it and figure out which part is doing what and why, but I'''m not getting it. If you can illuminate a bit, that would be fantastic! Thanks!